An expensive slate roof with copper flashing was severely damaged by hail. The insurance company’s adjuster and his contracted engineering company agreed that it was damaged by hail … but still refused to pay for the repair.

The insurance company’s adjuster referred to a paragraph written on the third page of a letter that had been sent to the policyholder six months before which totally excluded hail damage to soft metals that did not result in leaks. He told the policyholder that the vast majority of the $69,000 (plus) damage to his roof would have to be paid at his own expense.

The policy holder’s roofing contractor referred him to me for assistance with his claim.

My close examination of the policy, the letter, and the engineer’s report (in addition to localized weather reports) revealed that the exclusion the adjuster used to deny coverage did not take effect until four weeks after the hail storm. Accordingly, his denial of the claim was improper and he owed the insured for the damages.

When I brought this to their attention, the insurance company reluctantly acknowledged their duty to pay. The policyholder will be made whole and the contractor will be able to serve another homeowner in need of his services.

“No” is not always the final answer. Have a licensed public adjuster review your claim before walking away from your money.